Why do people do this?

[PeopleBaffleMe13]

I've name changed as this could be quite outing and I really like my normal user name.

I'm trying to not be too specific in case it gets boring but I was at an event yesterday and another attendee kept telling me to calm down, to stop worrying, to relax, it wasn't my problem. She was rubbing my back while talking to me like a child.

But, I wasn't doing anything. I'd mentioned that I thought I'd noticed tension between two other guests (I was right) but that was it. The way this person carried on you'd have thought I'd been on the verge of throwing punches. It was so weird and she wouldn't let it drop. In fact, she came to find me in another room while I was chatting and sorting a game to tell me again to calm down and stop fretting.

It was just so bizarre. I really can't stress enough how I wasn't behaving in any way agitated or annoyed. Why would anyone do this?

And, no I wasn't drunk so therefore unaware of my actions. I was driving and stuck to soft drinks all day.

Ahaha - yes, I know somebody like this: the wife of my OH's friend who just has to be everybody's 'mother', especially me.

Even though I am a senior professional in my early 40s, being childfree by choice makes me 'not a proper grown-up'.

I now mostly decline to attend events that I know she'll be at, and if I do, my OH knows me well enough to be on a watching brief and intercept when he sees me making the rage face.

I do like the earlier PP's advice about turning it back on them, though - will definitely use that in future! Like the OP, I LOATHE being touched and I feel this will be a much better way of handling things than punching her in the face.

I also love the neologism 'drama calmer'. 😄